Dive

What is Dive in hockey?

How to understand a hockey term Dive?

What is the definition of Dive in hockey?

Dive is when a player falls down or embellishes his fall when he feels he has been taken down by the other team in order to draw a penalty or by tricking the referee to think it was a penalty.

Unlike soccer, this kind of play is usually denounced and detested in the sport, especially the National Hockey League — NHL.

Some players, however, continue to try and draw penalties and are even known for this kind of play. Claude Lemieux, Peter Forsberg and the Sedin brothers are just a few players known to dive profusely through their careers.

However, the league has instructed its officials and keeps watch on players who do dive — even handing out fines at times. An unsportsmanlike penalty can be assessed to a player who in the eyes of the referee has dove. Sometimes referees will give a penalty to both teams, one for the infraction of a hook or trip for example, and the dive resulting in coincidental minor penalties.

One of the most famous dives in playoff history occurred in game four of the 1995 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals between the Quebec Nordiques and the New York Rangers. Alex Kovalev of the Rangers was hit with a stick in the back and fell to the ice while Joe Sakic went down and scored for the Nordiques. Referee Andy Van Hellemond, thinking Kovalev was severely injured, blew the whistle before Sakic scored and was forced to waive the goal off. New York went on to win the series.